My MIL in assisted living hums, ughs and ohs a lot. I don't hear other residents doing that. What gives?

My mom's nursing home had a resident who wandered. Leaving the grounds is OK for many, but not for those who don't have a destination in mind or the ability to find their way back. This cheerful gentleman showed off his ankle bracelet that they were apparently trying to keep track of him with. Not long after that he was moved to the secure dementia unit.

At the ALF where my daughter works, another cheerful gentleman would walk to a nearby tavern and have a drink. No problem. Assisted Living isn't a prison. But then he began to walk further and further and kept being brought back by the police. Sigh. This fellow, too, was transferred to the secure unit for persons who wander.

inlawcaregiver, if MIL has a tendency to impulsively take off and she can't get herself back to the care center, or if she is not safe in observing traffic, etc. then an unsecured care center is simply not going to be adequate.

I think that is a bigger threat to her well-being than humming and making noises.

ramiller: No problem! I'm still to find the part on this to correct errors after I send them!

Sorry llamalover47 auto correct got me again

Another side to this, is that as human beings, we're 'coded'; our brains respond to sounds, sights, etc, as 'good' or 'alarming', say; and the short, sharp sounds could be provoking anxiety in the hearer (crabcakes bully). Then the hearer can't respond in a way to fix the problem, and can't turn off their own anxiety chemicals.

Think about how you feel if someone's car alarm goes off, and no one shuts it off. For some, the sound will drive you mad; others can tune it out.

So maybe Ms Crabcakes needs to fine tune her anxiety/irritability response, but will her family say "hey! Why medicate my mom for someone else's problem?"

The ability to process words and then repeat them is starting to become non-existent. So what is she has her utterances? She is doing what she can do.

inlaw: Yes, I can believe the elementary school behaviour. My mother would giggle like a young teen!

I can handle the sounds and do believe she is soothing herself, but other residents complain and are not so kind. Would you believe there is bulleying in these facilities? Very elementary-schoolish at times. A bossy resident (who actually went to high school with her) keeps telling her to stop. I told that one not to call attention to it , but she continues. So I thought if there was a way to minimize he amount or the times, it would eliminate the berating.She goes to bed early and sleeps all night so that is a blessing. It is in the daytime she wants to be outside and active when others are out as well (rocking chairs on front porch where only a sidewalk separates the facility from Main Street. It is assisted living not a prison. A bed alarm would not help at this time. There is no locked memory unit here.

inlawcaregiver: It's a TIC, not a tick (which is an insect) that they're oblivious to. I, myself, developed one when providing care for mother (that's right; she almost me to insanity!)

My Mom reads the close captioning to herself. She is not loud but it does get to me. She also huffs and puffs when doing certain things.

When I worked with developmentally disabled adults in a sheltered workshop, some staff referred to the sounds and also motions as "self-stimulating" -- something the clients did to calm and soothe themselves.

yes the facility should have some kind of alarm on their doors leading outside that will also automatically lock (if in wheelchair), not sure if they can fix something up on walkers or not, but lets hope they can. good luck.

Is she perhaps in pain?

No kidding, for three years my husband made terrible noises going up and down the stairs and when I asked what was wrong, he said, "Nothing. Why?"

He didn't realize he was making those noises!

Then he had his hip replaced and the noises stopped.

When I first began working in Aged Care I was sent to a Dementia Course That I have never forgotten. The woman teaching had an incredible empathy for people with dementia and she told us it was very common for suffers to make strange noises that seemed unrelated to anything.The same way as some rock, rub their hands together or hummm. The actions are in some way comforting to the person. I know it's difficult if those mannerisms are upsetting for others but we have to keep reminding ourselves that each person who suffers with this dreadful disease is doing the best they can. And the weird mannerisms ARE common in dementia, your MIL is not unusual. Take Heart!

Some dementia patients develope ticks which is what this sounds like. If she does not talk much anymore this may be why this is happening. Speak with her doc there may be meds that would help stop this. The wondering does concern me, has she wondered out of the facility? If so this is not the place for her. She needs to be in a secure locked facility with bed alarms to monitor her movement. No one who wanders should ever be able to get out of the building. This is a huge problem dont let her become the next headline " patient wanders found out in cold" it happens more than you think.